Important steps to a lawn makeover

Summer is still burning strong and we surely have several weeks left of stifling heat in Kansas City. Many of the lawns in the city are showing the stresses of surviving yet another brutal summer of heat and dryness. If your lawn no longer looks thick and healthy or has more weeds than grass, it is time to renovate.


Renovating your lawn involves removing all unwanted weeds and grass types and then reseeding with improved varieties of your choice of turf. Timing is critical for successfully renovating your lawn – late enough to avoid the worst heat yet early enough to allow ample time for growth before the freezing weather arrives. In Kansas City, the first week of September is usually the ideal time to seed, to seed your lawn properly requires a broad knowledge of grass, several different pieces of specialized equipment and a large commitment of time. For these reasons, I suggest that homeowners contact a qualified professional who specializes in growing quality turf.


Although cost is a consideration, when you look at the time, supplies and rental fees you might quickly realize that using a pro will pay off. Every year I am disheartened by the dozens of calls I get in late fall from homeowners who have spent hundreds of dollars and lots of hard work seeding their lawns with poor results. I have to tell these customers that we have missed the ideal time for seeding and the repair will require considerable extra time and cost without the guarantee of superior results.


Of all the lawn care tasks needed each year, I strongly believe that lawn seeding is the most important one to be done by a professional. When you hire a lawn care company, you will want to check their license, insurance and references to make sure you are working with a professional. Then ask them about their seeding process. The highest quality lawn will come from a professional who includes all of the following steps:


Soil Test – imperative to start by fixing and soil chemistry problems
Spray Herbicide – Important to control weeds prior to seeding (4 weeks prior)
Spray with Growth Regulator – slows down growth of existing turf so it does not compete with new grass (2 weeks prior)
Plant seed – using a specialized slit seeder that precisely meters and places seed in the soil for maximum germination
Starter fertilizer and Rooting stimulant – applied to the soil to provide nutrients to emerging seedlings


Now the professional’s work is done and it’s time to care for your newly planted lawn. You will need to moisten the ground daily for two weeks to promote germination and then to pamper the young seedlings. As the grass grows stronger, you will begin to establish a regular schedule of deep through watering. Proper watering is essential to your lawn’s success and it involves quite a commitment – however, it is the last step to the lush, healthy lawn you envisioned when you started the renovation process. Soon you will be walking barefoot through your lawn enjoying the thick green carpet, underfoot.